


The Teen Drifter’s Guide to Acquiring Siblings and Scars

by InterstellarToaster, Maesonry



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Humor, Attempted Murder, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Child Abuse, Dai Li Reader (implied), Drama, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Happy Ending, Humor, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, POV Second Person, Protective Siblings, Reader-Insert, Relationship(s), Sad with a Happy Ending, What-If, Zuko (Avatar) Deserved Better, gender ambiguous reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-01-05 06:40:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18360686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InterstellarToaster/pseuds/InterstellarToaster, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maesonry/pseuds/Maesonry
Summary: “What If Ozai decided to  get rid of Zuko, like Azulon had threatened?”The Capital City of the Fire Nation was hot, cramped, and full of people who wanted you dead. You had a problem with that last thing. Actually, scratch that; you had a problem with that last thing when it extended to other people too.Case in point: the boy in the courtyard that was about to be murdered by Fire Nation soldiers.





	1. Step One: Accidentally Kidnap Them

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the Prompt of: what if Ursa couldn’t kill Azulon in time? Or, what if Ozai went back on his word not to harm Zuko? 
> 
> I spent the past week rewatching all of The Last Airbender, my heart is full, I have too many feelings. So here we go

The Capital City was too hot. Too hot, and, well- it was the Fire Nation, of course it was hot. The _capital_ of the Fire Nation. But it was always too hot, and you didn’t have to like it. Certainly you didn’t have to like it. You were used to the stiff, bracing breezes of the Earth Kingdom, the overcast clouds and vast mountains. Here, it was rocky in all the wrong ways, and not to mention _it was hot_.

Heat made you restless. Well, no. That wasn’t really the truth. Everything made you restless, and the heat was just an excuse. It wasn’t hot back in Ba Sing Se, after all.

But Ba Sing Se was full of cowards. And more than anything else, that got under your skin, more than heat or sun or whatever. There is no war in Ba Sing Se. Even now, your face twitched at that, and you felt your heart twist at the sound of Li Hua’s voice in your memory. You kicked a pebble down the road with a little too much force. 

_Thunk_ , went the pebble, embedding itself into a wall. Oops. You looked around, but it was the middle of the night, no one around to see. That didn’t make it any less dangerous, though- you were an earthbender in the _Capital_ of the _Fire Nation_. 

“Hey Firelord, good to see you, wanna see this cool rock thing I do when I’m angry?” you muttered to yourself, since you were apparently having a little Stupid Time hour. You hurried off to a different street, trying not to look suspicious, but hey, you were walking around the streets at midnight, wearing a cloak and talking to yourself. Well, beggars couldn’t be choosers.

You kept walking, this time slower, sedate. The rare breeze was a welcome and cool relief, ruffling your cloak, making you clutch your hood tighter. Your coin pouch was light enough that it shifted too, and that was enough to make you frown. You’d do a few odd jobs tomorrow, but then you’d have to leave for the next town. Maybe somewhere less hot. Hopefully somewhere peaceful, too. You wanted to explore more of the Fire Nation, and eventually find a ride to the abandoned Western Air Temple, but you couldn’t really do that if you were in jail.

“ _Take me back, oh, to sweet Omashu_ ,” you hummed lazily, as you jumped from one paved stone to another, melody awkward and tangled on your tongue, “ _cold air, er, mmmm,_ ” and you landed on a single shattered brick with decisiveness. 

But all at once, you suddenly went silent. Even though it was dark, you could hear well enough, and see even better. The quiet _thud_ of your jump, your absent humming, little tricks to help you see your environment and suddenly you felt- uncertain. Fear.

Because two streets away, in a courtyard, a kid was being dragged away by some guards. You would’ve strained your ears for some sound, but another jump onto the stones, and the kid was struggling noiselessly and, another jump, he was being thrown to the ground. 

You didn’t even hesitate as you took off running. Towards him. There were… three guards. One was holding him, so he wouldn’t escape. One was watching for trouble. One was standing directly in front of the kid. And you were in sight of the courtyard now- it was the Noble District, everything was manicured and poised, why did they even have a spooky courtyard?- so you didn’t have much time to think about what was happening.

Could hear, though. Hear enough.

“-quiet! We were told to make this quick.”

“Then hurry. I don’t want to be seen.”

That was generally not a very good thing to hear, given the situation. The slight crackle of firebending, and the kid’s voice was muffled but so deeply, deeply scared that- that you panicked a little. You were only sixteen, you were allowed to be a little panicked.

Like your Dai Li cousin had taught you, you made gloves out of stone, and then climbed up the wall, digging improvised gauntlets into the rock and then carelessly vaulting over. You landed with a muffled sound, and looked up, just in time to see the main soldier preparing to strike a fiery fist into the kid’s heart.

And you panicked a lot.

“Stop!” draw their attention, first rule. And that got their attention. You extended a hand- you were going to get in so much trouble if they could see your face- and then punched both of your improvised gloves out as rock fists. They connected with the nearest guard with a satisfying crack, and he went sprawling onto the ground. He didn’t get up.

“Earthbender!” the one with the flaming fist shouted, and that made you freak out a little, so you brought your hands up and then slammed them down, as a section of the wall fell and covered him. That just left the one to the right- before he could escape, you made a complex motion, capturing his hands and feet. And when he lit up his own fists in fireballs, throwing one right at you, you felt the rush of heat and the kneejerk fear that came with it, and-

Released him.

Only to turn the ground under him to mud, and then solidify it just as fast. His helmeted head stared at you, struggling a little, but he was stuck. You exhaled shakily. The other two guards, they were just as stuck, and… and you’d done it. 

You gripped your hood even tighter, and you knew you were going to be in so much trouble, but you allowed yourself to relax. Slightly. Just a little, and you looked to the kid still tied up in the center of the courtyard. He was looking at you with frantic, terrified eyes, and beneath his gag he was probably shouting or crying or both. You winced.

“I’m not gonna hurt you-” you attempted. He didn’t look very convinced. Then again, if you were suddenly approached by a firebender, you’d probably freak out too.

But you still held your hands up, and your voice cracked a little as you got quieter, “I’m sorry.”

You purposely didn’t move closer to him, so he could see your point, that you weren’t about to jump him. And maybe his wild eyes relaxed slightly, or maybe not, and you took the moment to stare at him. He had black hair that was in a Fire Nation ponytail, and golden eyes, and, tear tracks on his face with bruises and a few red marks. 

“What… what were these guys gonna do to you?” you asked, but not like you expected an answer. That just made him shake harder. And you jolted forward, because you wanted to comfort him, but that just made him flinch harder and then you were both freaking out and to make matters worse-

“Guards! Help! I’ve been attacked!” 

One of the guards had gotten his head free.

Not too far off, you could feel more guards coming to help, and you just- you panicked. Because they were trying to kill this kid- murder a kid! He looked like he was only eleven!- and you didn’t know if all the guards were in on this or not, but you weren’t going to leave him here. You weren’t going to just leave him to whatever this was. So you sprung the rest of the distance, wrapped your arms around the kid, and in an instant of absolute clarified alarm and dread, you bolted. Right out of the courtyard.

The boy you held tight was crying, and crying and crying, and the wind was whizzing by and it was too hot and the guards were shouting but-

But it would be okay.


	2. Step Two: Get a Name

The Capital City did not get any cooler at midnight; it was just as hot and uncomfortable as it was in the daytime. Though, maybe that was because you’d just run the entire length of the city- sprinted, actually- while carrying someone. And being chased for at least half of that time by guards, who had fire.

But it was okay now. By now, the kid in your arms had cried himself to sleep, a statement which made you feel guilty and relieved in equal measure. You were crouched in the grass outside an inn, and carefully using a sharpened rock to cut his bindings. The ones on his wrist had rubbed his skin raw, all red and angry, and you guessed the ones on his ankles weren’t any kinder. The gag was taken off just as quickly, and… and even though it was odd, you took a moment to examine the rope.

It was high quality rope.

… What kind of people used high quality rope to kidnap and (try to) murder someone? You frowned as you gathered the rope up in a bundle, and, well, he _had_ been in the noble district. His clothes were of high quality too, so it wouldn’t be too far to guess that maybe he was the son of a nobleman. Or a guard captain. Someone that could be taken out for leverage, maybe. You discarded the rope into a hole you made and sealed, and then you were picking the boy up in your arms again and walking into the inn. 

It was cooler on the inside. This was slightly relieving. 

“Hello? Who’s that?” a kind but distracted voice called, and you cleared your throat, struggling to keep a hold of the kid after your arms had turned to jelly from carrying him for so long. 

“Hi,” and your voice was scratchy and dry too. The woman appeared from some storeroom or wherever, and her voice matched her face, laugh lines and slightly graying hair. She looked like someone who was always moving. But she’d stopped long enough to give you the time of day, and now she was staring at the bundled boy in your arms with eyes that held no small amount of concern. It was probably the bruises. And the blood. There was a little blood on you both, and it was mostly yours at this point. 

“Oh- oh my. What happened? Are you both okay?” she grabbed something from under the counter, a rag, and then dipped it in some water from nearby and beckoned your both over. You smiled awkwardly as you accepted the rag and cleaned some of the dirt and blood from the kid. With yourself, you just kinda… rubbed it around, maybe. You couldn’t really tell. The lady pulled a face that suggested she was trying not to mention it as you gave her the rag back. 

“We’re fine. He, uh…” you blanked, “Platypus bear. And then he- we both fell out of a tree.”

Out of a tree, off a roof, same thing. 

“Well… if you need any help…” and then she trailed off, smiling uncertainty. You nodded. And then you were aware that you were still wearing your hood, indoors, and shrugged it off with a murmur of apology, and then it was her turn to stare at your messy and dirty hair.

You smiled lopsidedly, too tired to try and be innocently charming, “Can I rent a room for the night?” and you slid the coin onto the counter, as she blinked, then gave you a mixture of a pitying smile. 

It wasn’t enough money. You were banking on her feeling _sooo bad_ for you that she’d just let it slide. Hey, you barely had enough money to feed yourself tomorrow. And now you had a kid? And you weren’t sure how permanent this would be. So you had to make this money last, as long as you could. The _rich and prosperous_ Fire Nation could afford to be without a few coins.

“Oh. Of course,” she scooped up the money, then pointed down the hall, handing you a key, “it’s the second door on the left, with the little red mark on the side.”

Your grin became more genuine.

“Thanks,” and you somehow used one of your hands to grab the key while still holding the kid. But, not before the woman hummed softly.

“Is he your cousin?” 

You blinked.

“Young- younger brother, actually.”

And as she turned to go back to whatever room she was in before, she said something that made your heart simultaneously freeze and then sink.

“Well, he looks an awful lot like our Prince Zuko”

Then she was gone. And you were left standing in the hallway, holding the kid in your arms. You looked down at him. Stared for a moment. Looked away, then looked back again.

Well. That explained the identity mystery, at least. You awkwardly toddled down the hall and somehow managed to open the door while still holding the probable prince, nearly stumbling into the room with your exhaustion. It was a nice room, actually. Only one bed though. You sighed wistfully but set Zuko(?) down onto the bed, pulling the covers over him and then walking over to the armchair and plopping right down. Exhaustion washed over you. Your bruises felt like they had bruises, and for just a moment, as you closed your eyes, you really did miss Ba Sing Se.

Or, as you absently rubbed the Earth Kingdom scarf that you had tucked inside your shirt, maybe you just missed Li Hua. 

And as you finally slumbered, you imagined that if she could, she’d miss you too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The mystery of the reader’s past is slowly revealed ooooOoOo


	3. Step Three: Bond

Morning stole the tentatively cool breezes of the night. With each inch the treacherous sun rose, you only felt angrier. And hotter. 

But you tried not to let that show, as you quietly reentered the room, this time bearing a tray of fruit, water, and a bread with curry. Belsoi, or something? You’d had it before, and it was nice, so you’d grabbed some from the inn lady and brought it up to the room to share with Zuko.

Zuko. You flinched, and tried to assure yourself that hey, maybe it was just a resemblance thing. Maybe he wasn’t the Prince of the Entire Fire Nation.

Or maybe he was, and you were going to die.

But you liked to try and be optimistic. So you made up as much of a smile as you could, and set the plate down. Zuko was facing away from you, and you self consciously rubbed at the faded, jagged scar on your arm, before clearing your throat to try and wake him up.

“Hey- woah!” you jumped back as he suddenly rolled over, evidently having been awake the entire time. His eyes lasered in on you with frightening accuracy.

“Who are you?!” he sat up, voice angry and demanding, “Where am I?” and then his voice wobbled slightly, the anger creaking, “Where’s- where’s my mom?”

You blinked. Slowly, you sat down in the chair, and then slid the plate of food over to him. 

“...I got you some food?” you offered. More silence, and then you rubbed your arm again, “Okay- we’re at an inn in the city. I rescued you last night, if you can remember? From some guards. They were- trying to kill you.”

Zuko’s eyes went small. You could guess what he was remembering- _darkness, fear, the fire getting closer, he was going to die, he was scared, and then suddenly, an earthbender-_.

And then his eyes focused on you again. By then, you had tentatively begun eating some lychee nuts. Hey, you were hungry. And after watching you to make sure it wasn’t poisoned or whatever, Zuko ripped off a piece of the bread and dunked it in the curry, then began to eat. Fast enough that you quietly warned him to slow down, and he frowned, cheeks filled with food.

“You sound like Uncle,” he muttered.

Right. Speaking of family, and names, you opened your mouth, “What’s your name?”

He glared at you a little, but it wasn’t very frightening. Maybe in a few years it might be. He didn’t say anything, and so you sighed, deciding to offer him a trade. You wondered if you were this stubborn when you were this young, and, well, you were probably much worse.

“I’m Noe,” you offered. Short for Nobody Special. You’d gotten attached to it after leaving Ba Sing Se. Zuko scrutinized you for a moment, as you ate a few more lychee nuts, and then he shifted.

“My name is Zuko,” his voice cracked a little. Aw, cute. Wait, no, not cute, this was the Prince of the Fire Nation, and he knew that you were an earthbender. Not cute, very bad. Zuko didn’t notice your sudden terror, as he continued, with a burst of emotion, “I want to go back home!”

…”Okay.”

He blinked. Evidently, he had been expecting more resistance from you about that. But you weren’t going to try and stop him, and not to mention, he was the prince. He’d be safe in the palace, and if the new Firelord was forgiving (which, rumors weren’t promising) then you’d be let go. And if he wasn’t forgiving, or if Zuko mentioned you were an earthbender, you were going to to go to a deep, dark hole that you’d never leave again.

No pressure.

“Finish your food and we can go,” you shrugged an arm to the food, and Zuko continued to eat, though he was looking at your arm in confusion. Oh, right, the scars. You gave him a wooden smile, “Don’t worry, it happened a long time ago.”

One year, precisely. 

Zuko’s eyes snapped back to his food, embarrassed to have been caught staring, and then you sighed a little, feeling bad, “Hey, really, it’s okay. My cousin- he didn’t mean to.”

“...You’re lying.”

“Eat your bread, kiddo.”

Zuko ate his bread, but pointedly did not drop the topic, “Azula lies a lot. So I’m good at noticing when people at lying. But,” and then his face turned awkward, “But mom said it’s not nice to point out people’s scars. Sorry.”

You resisted the urge to ruffle his hair, mostly because you valued having at least half an arm unscathed, “I don’t mind. I’m just… surprised you aren’t scared of me, actually,” even saying earthbender was dangerous.

But Zuko just stared at you, tilted his head slightly, “Why would I be scared of you? I could defeat you easily,” but he said it with such an innocently assured smile that you weren’t sure if you should feel threatened or relieved. You settled on a mixture, and even more when he added, “Besides. You saved my life, so I promise not to tell my father who you are.”

Zuko finished up, and the room was quickly cleaned up, and it wasn't even midday yet before the two of you were leaving the inn and walking towards the palace. Zuko looked particularly anxious, and you noticed he shifted closer to you every time a guard walked past. Come to think of it, there were quite a few guards out today. You draped an arm over him, and bent down.

“Don’t be worried,” you assured him, “I took on three of them last night, you don’t need to be scared,” He looked at you like you’d said the sky was purple.

“I’m not scared.”

But he did remain closer by your side after that. Meanwhile, you glanced around to see what exactly the guards were all concerned about, only to see the poster one was nailing to a wall. Wanted: earthbender, aged fourteen to eighteen, gender unknown, highly dangerous.

Well, that would explain it. At least they didn’t know what you looked like.

“Don’t be scared,” Zuko said, and you snorted, but tried to relax the rest of the walk back to the palace. It mostly didn’t work, but, you tried. Whatever tentative calm you’d managed to scrounge together was obliterated as you stopped in front of the gates, two guards staring you down. Zuko stood taller at their attention.

“Guards. I need entrance to see my father.”

The two guards exchanged looks, and one had the body language of relief, “Prince Zuko, you’re safe!” only to be stopped by an unreadable glare from his fellow guard. A stiff nod, before the gate was opened, “I mean, of course, Prince Zuko. Firelord Ozai should be in the throne room, as usual.”

Zuko walked forward. The moment you tried to turn around to leave, because, really, this was as far as you had needed to go, the guards stopped you. 

“And they’ll have to come too.”

And then you were following after Zuko.  
You’d never been this close to a palace before. Sure, there had been the times you’d seen the Ba Sing Se palace as you passed by for Dai Li training, but that was different. Here, you were actually within the walls of the Fire Nation palace. And soon, you’d actually be _within_ the palace itself. The level of scrutiny made you feel like a rockroach. Gaggles of servants that saw you and Zuko disappeared with frantic whispers, and, really, you did not feel prepared for this. You hadn’t had a bath in half a week. Your healthy coating of dirt was starting to look like it had its own coat of dirt.

But you forced yourself to try and calm down. It moderately worked.

Zuko had been sticking relatively close to you as you walked, but suddenly, he stepped away, straightening up and putting on a face that might have tried to be regal but mostly looked uncomfortable. You looked around to see what was wrong, and then you saw the girl approaching you both. She was wearing similar clothes to Zuko, and she was slightly taller, and you had a feeling this was the Azula that Zuko had mentioned. Call it a hunch.

“Zuzu,” she greeted, walking over and giving the kind of smile that reminded you of a hawk. If hawks could smile, and were happy about suffering. Zuko looked like he thought the same.

“Hi, Azula.”

Silence. Uncomfortable. You glanced around, but at the slight movement, Azula zeroed in on you. Her smile got wider.

“And who are you? Did my brother finally make a friend, or did he pay you?”

You opened your mouth to reply- mostly to say, hey, your brother had been missing, didn’t she even care?- but she beat you to it. Again.

“Oh, nevermind,” and she was already turning away, “It’s not like you matter.”

Wow okay.

“Azula, stop it,” Zuko demanded, his fists balled up at his sides, and Azula actually laughed as she brushed past him. 

“Or what? Is mom going to stop me?”

And then she was gone. You were left standing there, awkward and stiff, wondering what had happened and how you got into that situation. You looked over to Zuko, and his face was slightly red, like he was going to cry or scream. Suddenly, you weren’t sure what to do. It was pretty obvious _something_ happened to his mom, but… you didn’t know what.

Maybe it was like what happened with Li Hua.  
Without thinking, you reached out to put a hand on Zuko’s shoulder, but he flinched and shot you a glare. Angry and upset all at once. You stuttered, your hand hovering in the air.

“I’m sorry.”

You weren’t sure what part you were apologizing for. Zuko didn’t respond. He just took a deep breath, then walked forward.

“Come on,” he said. And you nodded and followed.


	4. Step Four: Get into a Fight

For as large as the palace was, the rest of the walk wasn’t that long. The sights were dazzling and amazing, but because you were literally walking into the center of your nation’s worst nightmare, most of it was lost on you. Not even the scarf secreted in your shirt made you feel any better. The servants all scurried past, whispering, and you weren’t sure if they were whispering about you (understandable) or because of Zuko. You hoped it was you. As you walked, your face was a mixture of calm and apprehension, but as you stopped in front of the throne room, you felt the calm slowly settle in. The kind of dull acceptance that, well, this might as well happen. 

And then you were walking into the Actual Throne Room of the Fire Nation’s _Firelord_ , and you were the opposite of calm. The rockroach metaphor came right back to mind, as the heavy marble doors were closed behind you, and the room was nearly as dark as night. Nearly, save for the line of fire that marked the divide of the dais, which lead to the throne. And on the throne, there sat the Firelord. Firelord Ozai.

At your appearance, the flames roared higher. Your mind went painfully blank, and Zuko came to your rescue, kicking your legs as he went down in a bow and you followed.

No one said a word.

“So. You are the one who has brought Zuko back to me?” Firelord Ozai eventually asked, after a lengthy and drawing silence. His voice wasn’t pleasant, and the question wasn’t either. You lifted your head slightly, but you couldn’t see his face, not in the shadows. So you just nodded.

“Yes, Firelord,” and you felt the need to go on, but not without any idea of what to say, you simply said, “He’s safe.” 

What a terrible time to wonder if you had a Ba Sing Se accent.

Firelord Ozai regarded you impassively. You were a small little insect, and he was a hammer. What really struck you, though, was that he hadn’t even acknowledged Zuko yet. Surely he would be overjoyed to see his son? Zuko had been _kidnapped_. He’d nearly _died_. This was just like with Azula, but magnified. 

You squirmed slightly.

Firelord Ozai considered you. He smiled, just a little- not that you could see that- and then his voice rumbled throughout the room. 

“You are the one responsible for his kidnapping,” Firelord Ozai stated. It was more of a decision, actually, a sudden thing that made your eyes snap open and your body tense, but he just continued despite your frantic pleads, “Guards, arrest them!”

“Wait- no, I was the one that saved him-” but then guards appeared from the shadows, masks even more frightening in the sharp lighting, making grabs for your arms. You thrashed a little as you stood, painfully aware that this was a near repeat of Ba Sing Se, and Zuko was staring at you in confused shock, but most of all, now you could see Ozai’s face. And it was… he was smiling. It was not a happy smile, but a pleased one. Someone who had all the cards played right.

He was playing you. Why- why would he do this? Why would he-

Unless. Unless he had something to do with this. Because why else wouldn’t he care about his son, and why else would the guards be in on it, and why else would he want someone to take the fall.

“No more earthbending this time,” one of the guards holding you grunted, and that was what sealed it. It _was_ him. It was, it was Firelord Ozai. And if you were taken away, Zuko wouldn’t know, and this time you knew that Ozai wouldn’t let the job fail.

So you struggled even harder.

“NO!” you reeled your head back, then slammed it into someone’s chest, kicking your arm slightly. The metal screeched as you broke one hand free of the handcuffs, pushing one of the guards away. With a flick, you’d taken a chunk of one of the pillars and sent it smashing into another guard. But before you could do anymore, a guard jumped you from behind. And then another, at your side, and you fell to the ground, your hands held behind your back despite your shouting of, “He’s just a kid! Zuko, you gotta get out of here! Z-”

There was a sudden, sharp, searing pain on the side of your neck, a pain that only intensified as it grew hotter and hotter. You held in a scream for as long as you could, until your voice was scratchy and dry, and the hand was pulled away, the flesh red and scarring. Even breathing was painful, and you didn’t dare try to speak. Which was probably the plan. One of the guards pulled you off the ground, slapping handcuffs on your wrists.

“Father!” Zuko shouted, “Wait- you, you can’t do this.”

That was the wrong thing to say, apparently. And Zuko knew it too. Firelord Ozai slowly stood up from his throne, staring down at his child.

“I can’t?”

And he walked down the stairs even slower. You struggled some more, already cobbling together an escape plan based around your feet, but the warning, fiery hand returned, and you could only wheeze. Firelord Ozai, meanwhile, stopped in front of his son.

“You _dare_ tell me what I can and cannot do?”

“Father, please,” Zuko lowered his head back to the ground, still bowed deeply, and he was pleading now, desperate, “You- they saved my life. Please, you have to spare them.”

But Firelord Ozai just pulled a face.

“The only one who should be begging for his life, is you.”

You didn’t have enough time to react. Everything seemed to snap, with sudden, terrifying clarity. There was fire- Ozai’s fire- and then a blast, enough to send the flames near the throne screaming to the ceiling, and the sound almost covered up Zuko’s scream too. His scream of pain. You blinked, and he was on the ground, holding his face, and then-

_“Taro!-”_

_The pain isn’t unexpected, but that makes it hurt even more. You hold your side and your arm, and you feel tears in your eyes. He’s your only family and now he’s going to kill you. You look up at him, and instead of begging for mercy, you think about Li Hua._

_And then_ you feel rage.

With a roar, you brought both your legs up, the motion sending the guard holding you to stumble. And then you slammed your feet down, the pillar of rock shatter your handcuffs, and you twisted around with a feral rage, bringing both hands up and out as you incapacitated two guards at once with a swarm of marble chunks. The two guards left, you pushed your hands out, hard, shattering one pillar in half and toppling it onto them, but not before you stomped onto the ground and fractured it right down the middle, a divide right where Ozai had stood with Zuko. 

It was just you and the Firelord now. He was staring at you with disgust and rage, something to be squished and dealt with. Zuko was still holding his face and shaking, hard. And as you looked at Ozai, you knew you wouldn’t be able to fight him. You were sixteen, an earthbender with a partial Dai Li’s training, and not any match for the leader of the Fire Nation.

“He’s just as pathetic as his mother,” Firelord Ozai growled. You wondered, for a moment, what had happened to her. But only for a moment. 

“You will leave him alone,” you growled. You would’ve liked to say more, but the burn on your throat made every word agony. Officially, from this moment, Zuko was your responsibility. And you decided this as you sprung forward, in a bizarre mimic of last night, grabbing the kid in your arms and dodging a lash of fire from the Firelord, and then, with the help of your bending, you were bounding out of the throne room. You blocked the door behind yourself with a sheet of rock, and placed bets on how long it would take him to break it down. Maybe a minute if you were lucky. A minute could work.

You were glad you had your only bag on you, because you didn’t think you’d be welcomed back to the Capital City anytime soon.

“You’re gonna be okay,” you forced out, as you ran, trying to comfort Zuko. He had stopped shaking as badly, but you weren’t sure if that meant something worse. Was he dying? Was he going into shock? You weren’t a doctor, all you knew how to do was make earth salve, and yet-

You kept running.

“Stop them! They have the prince!” a guard yelled, and there was the ringing of guards across the palace shouting, trying to chase you down. Down the hall, you noticed a few of them form a line, like a blockade. Two had spears, and two were notching their arrows, and the last three were alighting their fists with fire and preparing to launch. You yanked yourself to the left, right into a wall, and shattered it. The rubble collapsed behind you as you leapt out into the air.

“Hang on!”

It was the courtyard of the palace. You were sprinting, slightly disoriented, for the stables. Your (tentative) plan was this simple: grab an ostrich horse, and leave. But as you looked to your left, just for a moment, you saw someone. Someone that made your blood freeze with history.

“General Iroh,” you choked. No- The Dragon of the West would absolutely destroy you and Zuko, without a doubt, and he was looking _right at you both_. Was that shock? Sadness? No, no. You might’ve been terrified out of your mind, but not enough to think that he wasn’t about to destroy you both. It was your fault for pausing for too long, and now, as Zuko lifted his head up, you hastily cobbled together a plan to dodge and-

“Uncle,” Zuko croaked out, and then it clicked. His- his uncle was General Iroh? 

And Iroh didn’t make any moves to stop you as you jumped onto the back of an ostrich horse with Zuko and fled. He just continued to stare. Even as you fled out of sight, down the street, pursued by a horde of soldiers. Even as you shielded your escape through a cloud of dust.

Though you couldn’t see it, Iroh still stared. Then, he closed his eyes, and frowned.

Then, he got on his own ostrich horse, and made for the countryside.


	5. Step Five: Apologize

Zuko was in and out of consciousness as you both escaped the city. The ostrich horse was fast enough for you to lose any pursuers, combined with a city wide dust storm since you decided, might as well, and you rode for as long as you could manage in good heart- before you knew that you had to get Zuko some medical attention, right now. You knew it was only a matter of time before the Fire Nation caught up with you, but hopefully, you could stay the night at an inn without issue. Hopefully.

The village you stopped in was small. Around twenty buildings wide, right by a slightly rocky forest. You rushed into the inn, a slightly aging building, and didn’t even attempt to be polite this time.

“I need a room,” you grunted, and then there was an old man hurrying in, confused, then shocked at your appearance. He shakily handed you a key as you dropped the money onto the table and then you were gone, rushing into the inn room and slamming the door shut behind yourself, locking it for good measure. Carefully, you set Zuko down on the bed, and with a slow and cautious motion, removed the hand he had cupped over half his face. 

An enormous, angry scar greeted you back. It covered his entire left eye, and part of his cheek and forehead, darker at the center. It looked, in terrible irony, like a flame. You wanted nothing more than to kill Ozai with your bare hands now. As though you hadn’t wanted to before. You exhaled through clenched teeth as you felt the fresh scar on your neck throb, and you wondered what it looked like. Maybe like a noose, since the scars were being all metaphorical now.

The room had a basin of water, and you grabbed the rag beside it, dipping it and wringing it out, then bringing it over to Zuko. You winced as you cleaned the area around his eye, trying to be gentle, but he was stiff even in unconsciousness and you knew that this wasn’t pleasant. You set the rag back into the water, watching it turn from clear to muddled, and then dug into your bag for the spare cloth and earth salve. You bit your lip.

“Hopefully this works.”

Making sure no one could see you, you opened the small container of earth salve, and then pull the salve into the air. It hovered slightly, before you directed it onto his wound site, urging it to soak in and soothe the burn. Zuko’s jaw unclenched after a moment, and you exhaled. It worked. You held the salve until you were sure it would remain, and then with a somewhat practiced motion, you wrapped the makeshift bandage around his head to cover and cushion the burn. Maybe it wouldn’t scar. Maybe it would. You really, really hoped it didn’t, but unless you suddenly became a waterbender, there wasn’t much else you could do. 

You tended to your own burn with much less fanfare. A little bit of the salve, but you couldn’t bring yourself to use some of the spare cloth to wrap it. Zuko would need it more.

But you did pause, and then, with slight hesitation, you took out Li Hua’s scarf from your shirt, and held it in your hand. Then, you slowly wrapped it around your neck, tying it like she always had. Before the Dai Li took her. Before, before she came back as Joo Dee.

You were suddenly so, so tired, and your eyes began to droop, and, well. Instead of making the effort to go to the chair in the room, you laid down on the bed, curled around the edge, Zuko on the other side. You faced the door as your eyes closed, the hand you tucked under your pillow encased by a stone glove, just in case. The nap was welcomed.

And when Zuko finally woke up, you were sitting in a chair at the table, moving your hands above a small bowl. You blinked, turning to him, and your face was clear relief.

“You’re okay,” you exhaled, and closed your eyes for a moment, before standing up, taking the bowl with you as you knelt by the bed.

“Where- where are we?” he demanded, and then reached up to touch his face, the bandage on his left eye, “Why can’t I see?”

“Hey, easy,” and you reached up to your neck to show him that you had one too, before you reach up with the bowl, “This is earth salve. I need to put some over your burn real quick.”

Zuko was silent as you removed his bandage, but he couldn’t stop the hiss of pain as the air hit the fresh scar, or the shudder as you carefully bended the mixture up to his face and then spread it carefully on the scar tissue. It wasn’t perfect, but it would reduce the scarring. Hopefully. Your cousin had never said about the uses on scars. And as you bandaged Zuko back up, his face went hard, and he glared at you with wounded rage. There was sorrow there.

“You did this to me!” he accused, but it wasn’t even an accusation. He was scared. He was in pain. And he knew what had really happened, but it was easier to deny it. You shifted your arm, the one with the scar, and frowned. You knew that feeling, too.

“Zuko… it wasn’t me.”

“You’re lying.”

“We both know that isn’t true.”  
You’d set the bowl down at that point, maneuvered yourself so you were sitting up, eye height with Zuko, and his eyes were trembling with a hundred different things. He didn’t want to accept it. He was scared of accepting it.

But he had to.

“Why-” and then his voice shattered, and he was looking at you with eyes that were filled with tears, a red face, mouth open, “Why would my father do this? Why would he do this to me?” the sobs quickly followed. They were loud and messy, and Zuko threw his arms around your neck, and you hugged back, even as your own scar screamed. Zuko shook and wailed and he just didn’t understand. He was smart- you’d only known him for a day, and you knew he was smart- and that just made the pain hurt even worse. He was only eleven. You were only sixteen. This world sucked.

“Why would he try to kill me?” Zuko’s voice was tremulous. Ah. So he had figured it out too.

And for once in your life, you didn’t know what to say.

“I- I don’t know, buddy,” you whispered, and so Zuko just cried harder, and you could feel that too. You’d lived that too. Ba Sing Se was a hundred mountains and moons away, and you still felt like you couldn’t run far enough. Like you might blink, and there would be Taro with his Dai Li gaze, and there would be Li Hua ( _Not_ Joo Dee) with her frozen smile, and all of Ba Sing Se, full of cowards and betrayers.

So you hugged Zuko as hard as you could, and let him cry himself out, and if you cried with him, no one would judge you. 

Zuko and you were in this together now. That’s how family was. You’d have his back, and you promised, you wouldn’t let this happen to him again. 

“I’ve got you. I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s funny, because this is also accidentally related to Azula’s quote, after telling Zuko their dad is going to kill him: “Maybe you can find a nice Earth Kingdom family to adopt you.”
> 
> Jokes on u Azula, Zuko _does_
> 
> A family can be a runaway older sibling, a younger brother, and their uncle


	6. Step Six: Get Some Help

After Zuko had cried as much as he could bear, you decided to give him some time alone. You weren’t sure if it was a good idea, but you didn’t have much experience in being responsible for someone younger than you. You’d been an only child, before, and then Taro had taken care of you, and now…

Well. You hoped you were doing this right.

Sunset was just starting to take hold, as you stepped out of the inn, and the sky looked more beautiful for it. The air was certainly cooler, almost bearable, and you tilted your head a little to catch it. A bath would be nice.

With that in mind, you glanced back at the inn, before making your way down to the river that you knew was nearby, feeling almost a little guilty to leave Zuko alone as you left. But he was a big kid, he could handle himself. Right? Right. You nodded to yourself, pretending you were confident with this answer, and continued walking. You stomped a few times as you slipped through the small amount of trees that hid the river, letting the vibrations carry through the earth and giving you a solid view of your surroundings. No one around, just as you hoped.

So you smiled, and as soon as the river broke into view, you didn’t even bother taking off your clothes as you jumped in. You were washing yourself _and_ your clothes, at once, because you were an innovator.

The water was refreshingly cold, and there was hardly any current, which meant that as soon as you’d scrubbed your hair you were floating lazily on your back, humming the cords to sweet Omashu and, for the first time since you’d gotten to the Fire Nation, feeling completely at ease.

“Oh take me back, to sweet Omashu…”

You exhaled, ready to begin the next verse, and then-

The sound of someone inhaling. Your eyes snapped open, and you blew all the air out of your lungs, sitting to the bottom of the river with frantic speed, until your feet touched the bottom and you quickly bended the sediment loose and made everything murky and brown, hiding you from view. It gave you enough time to plant a hand on the riverbed, and focus past the rushing water. One man, standing calmly on the river bank. Alone. Unarmed, but that didn’t say much in the Fire Nation. He seemed old. Okay, that meant you could pass off your bending easily, and then be on your way.

So you pushed yourself off the riverbed, and shot to the surface, by the shoreline. Your hair flopped down into your eyes, and you flailed for a moment, before the old man extended a hand helpfully and you accepted it, pulling yourself from the river.

“Thanks-” you rubbed your eyes, and then your gratitude died in your throat. 

Because it was the Dragon of the West. Iroh.

You scrambled up and back so fast, your footing slipped, and then you were falling back into the river- if not for Iroh’s hand, holding a fistful of your tunic. You stared at him in fear. He stared at you in concern.

“Please- do not be frightened,” he asked, simple and calm, and then he carefully pulled you back from the ledge and let go of you. You just continued to stare at him, debating how you could escape this situation, and he continued on, aware of your anxiety, “I will not harm you.”

“What do you want?” you shifted your footing, until it was nearly a battle stance, but not quite. You had a feeling you knew why he was here. But you weren’t going to make it easy for him. 

“It’s… it’s about my nephew,” Iroh looked so suddenly, deeply sad that you felt like a terrible person for all of a second. Before the suspicion returned,

“I don’t-”

“Please,” and Iroh held up a placating hand, “I am not here to return you to the Firelord.”

You faltered. Then… why was he here?

Iroh must have seen the question on your face, because he sighed, a deep and old hurt, “If you and Zuko leave, I must tell you why his mother left. And why the Firelord attacked his own son.”

You stared, still uncertain, but now waiting for the rest of the tale. Iroh’s voice was low and quiet.

“It is a closely guarded secret, that Zuko’s mother did not leave of her own free will. She was forced to, by my brother, one month ago. And she did it to save Zuko’s life.”

Despite yourself, you found yourself listening intently, eyes severe, and you couldn’t help but interrupt. You had… an idea, “Firelord Ozai was crowned Firelord a month ago.”

“Yes,” Iroh nodded, “After the sudden death of our father, Azulon.”

Sudden deaths could mean anything from a heart attack, to poison. And your eyes only got harsher as you realized what must have happened.

“But- but why would she kill him?”

Iroh’s smile was not a happy one. It had a hurt, like yours when you spoke of Li Hua, “In retaliation for something my brother said, our father decreed that Ozai would know the pain of losing his firstborn son.”

What was with this family and murder.

“Azulon did die, though,” you pointed out, “That doesn’t- that doesn’t explain why Ozai tried to have Zuko murdered.”

It was Iroh’s turn to stare at you. Ah. Was, was that not where this was going?

Slowly, Iroh explained, “No. I was going to say that Ursa killed Azulon in exchange for her son’s life, but I can see that something else happened.”

Over the course of the conversation, you’d let your tension seep out, and now you felt as tired as Iroh looked. You made a little frown, and leaned down, picking up a river rock. 

“I. Last night, I found some guards about to kill Zuko,” you reeled your arm back and threw the rock, watching it bounce across the surface of the water, “And when I brought Zuko to the Firelord today, I realized he was the one to order it.”

The rock sank beneath the surface after the fifth skip.

“I…” Iroh trailed off. You turned to look at him, and then you offered another rock to throw. He accepted quietly, and then you were both skipping rocks over the river, the sunset painting everything in shades of sorrowful red.

“Originally, I had come to wish you a safe journey,” and Iroh looked wistful, “but now, I would ask a favor of you.”

“Sure.”

“It would mean much to me if I could join you.”

You paused, mid throw, and the rock plopped to the ground.

“What?” and then you blinked, slightly apprehensive, “Why would you want to- join us? We’re fugitives. You’re a general.”

Through the gentle breeze whistling through the trees, the soft rush of the river, Iroh exhaled and set his rock down. His voice fell between the pauses of the wind and river, “Because, he is my nephew, and I care for him more than you may know. I do not want to repeat the mistakes of my past.”

He would be willing to become a fugitive, just like you both, simply because of family. That was more than you’d ever had. In fact, a small pang of jealousy in your heart, and an ugly part of you wanted to say “no” just on that alone, that you would be enough for Zuko on your own and you didn’t need anyone else to mess it up.

But that was just a drop of bitterness, compared to the ocean of your heart. You wanted Zuko to be happy. And Iroh- Iroh seemed nice.

You wished you’d had this, in Ba Sing Se. And even if you couldn’t have had this, you’d make sure Zuko could.

“Okay.”

And Iroh smiled so gratefully, that you smiled sheepishly back.

“But, you’re gonna need to get your own ostrich horse,” you added, “Come on. We’re staying at an inn nearby.”

“Ah. There will be no need,” and Iroh smiled in a somewhat sly manner, and you wondered what he meant, before he continued, mischievous, “I had already parked my ostrich horse at the inn before I went to find you.”

You glared slightly, before laughing, reaching out and punching Iroh on the shoulder. He laughed with you, and you walked back to the inn together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love u Uncle Iroh


	7. Step Seven: And Go

Zuko seemed to light up when his uncle entered the room, with you following close behind, and there wasn’t even a moment to speak or form sentences before Zuko launched himself up at his uncle, arms outstretched, and Iroh returned the hug, as Zuko resolutely did not cry. You stood off to the side, wondering if you were intruding, until you too were pulled into the hug, and then it was your turn to struggle not to cry. Life had been going _too fast_ lately, and it was all at once, and you were really just so tired of it all. So maybe you cried a little, it was whatever.

But after the crying was done, and after you’d all stepped back for a moment and taken seats around the room, you blurted out, “My name isn’t really Noe, and I’m from Ba Sing Se, but I ran away because I was Dai Li but not really and my cousin was ordered to kill me since my girlfriend Li Hua was brainwashed and-”

Then you inhaled, and made a slightly choked noise at the dust in your throat, then weakly finished, “Sorry.”

Zuko and Iroh just stared at you. Iroh, with a kind smile, and he was the first to speak, “Your Ba Sing Se accent is hidden well. You’ll have to tell me how you did it,” which, just left you with more questions, most of which was ‘ _do_ I have an accent?’ 

“The Dai Li?” Zuko squinted with his free eye, “I feel like I’ve heard that before…”

“You should remember, I hope,” Iroh chuckled gently, but as it ended, a more serious expression overtook his face and he turned to you, “The Dai Li are Ba Sing Se’s most secret police force. I can only assume that this training is the reason that you and my nephew are safe today.”

The unspoken, _and alive_. You caught the curious look on Zuko’s face, and so you stood up somewhat reluctantly- more like resigned, slipping back into a combat stance that reminded you of everything you hated, and you lazily made a few practiced motions with your hands as you spoke, “Cultural heritage agents,” and you mimed incapacitating someone and mock bowing. Your smile was partially genuine, though, because Zuko recognized your moves and now he could put a name to them. And he didn’t look scared, either, just… impressed. Same with Iroh. You plopped back down into your chair.

“Despite the circumstances of your knowledge, that you still use them to protect those around you is a testament to your strength and of your heart,” Iroh’s voice was comforting, and the words resassuring in some weird way, enough to make your smile completely genuine.

“Uncle,” Zuko groaned, “Do you have a life lesson for everything?”

“I think it’s part of my charm,” and then Iroh laughed, and you snorted, and even Zuko couldn’t hold back either. 

It was… it was nice. And you appreciated that they didn’t ask about your real name, and that they didn’t ask about your cousin, or about Li Hua. That they were willing to let you explain when you were ready. That they weren’t scared of you- and that was the most important part, to you. You’d spent so long knowing that everyone- _everyone_ \- who knew you were Dai Li would be terrified of you, and yet, here you were. 

The three of you couldn’t stay the full night. You knew the Fire Nation would be on your tail soon. But that was okay. Because sometime before morning, you’d all wake up, and get on the ostrich horses, and just go. Into the hills and down east and on a boat, somewhere, somewhere away. You hoped… somewhere cold, for a change. 

You’d always wanted to visit the South Pole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand done. Cute, short, and adorable. Happy endings are my jam. 
> 
> Also the little hook implication that maybe these lads will end up with Katara, Sokka, and a newly awakened Aang when the time coincidentally coincides. Will I write that story? No. Cause that would just be a rehash of the original show, but with a few extra bits, and that’s not fun. But feel free to imagine it with these Free Extras ™:
> 
> Noe: why’s it so cold here  
> Zuko: you wanted to go to the South Pole  
> Noe: I’ve changed my mind
> 
> Noe: I can’t bend anything here this sucks 
> 
> Sokka: and hello there-  
> Noe: Noe  
> Sokka: no?  
> Noe: yes
> 
> Iroh: Ah, Noe, I think I see Azula on the ship chasing us!  
> Noe: do you think she remembers me?  
> [fireball]  
> Noe: oh yea she do
> 
> Aang: I’m the avatar... but-  
> Noe, internally: new sibling new sibling new sibling 
> 
> Noe: Zuko, you don’t appreciate Uncle’s tea enough  
> Zuko: But you hate it  
> Noe: and I appreicate that
> 
> If enough people want the Turbo Speed Epilogue which would feature the ‘what if’ of team Noe and team avatar in little sentences like this, then I might add it on


	8. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By popular demand: the Turbo Speed epilogue. It was supposed to be little one sentence funny fragments, but then it ran away from me and here it is
> 
> It’s the entirety of books 1, 2, and 3, condensed into a cube of “who knows”

You stood in the snow. On the horizon, a small Southern Water Tribe village, but that didn’t make up for the fact that, “I can’t bend anything here. This is… the worst idea I’ve had. Ever.”

 

 

 

 

When two of the kids from the village came back with an Air Nomad boy from an iceberg, your stomach dropped in a way that said you were either very hungry, or the extremely specific feeling of upcoming doom. It could’ve been the tea you were drinking. 

But then Zuko was already out of the hut to go talk to them, and Iroh and you shared a mutual gut feeling sharing look of impending doom. You sighed as you walked out to go and try to… intercept? Stop the spirits from making your life into a Pai Sho game? Whatever. 

 

 

 

“Ah,” Iroh’s voice was calm, as you fled on Ostrich Horses, “It appears as though Azula is on the ship chasing us.”

“Do you think she remembers us?” your voice was less calm, but maybe that was because you were half hanging off your ostrich horse.

And then a fireball exploded in front of you all.

 

 

 

“The Avatar said he was going to try and get to the Northern Water Tribe,” Zuko said. You’d managed to ~~steal~~ borrow a map from some crappy traders, and now you were mapping the way, taking a rest under a tree while Zuko examined the map, “We can use one of the Southern Colony islands to make our way through the Earth Kingdom, then catch a boat at the Fire Nation Resort.”

Iroh was just calmly making tea, and he nodded along. You glared at the map like it could invent a better route. It didn’t. You still glared.

 

 

 

The three of you met up with the Avatar and Co. at the Northern Water Tribe. And it was cold here, too, and because you were the only normal person, you were freezing. All the time. Zuko hung out with Aang and friends, while you caught a cold and huddled in a guest room. Iroh kept giving you tea. The world was cruel.

 

 

 

Admirial Zhao was here. You knew this because he’d stumbled into the guest house to hide from an enraged water spirit. And then he’d found you.

Your smile was all teeth and frenzy.

“Zhao, oh man, I’m gonna kill you.”

 

 

(The water spirit stole your kill. You hated the spirits)

 

 

 

 

“Can you teach me earthbending?” Aang asked. He was really, really excited. You really, really weren’t.

“I can teach you… a little?” you offered. You weren’t an earthbending master. Really, all you could do was a few basic moves, and a metric ton of Dai Li moves. You didn’t think it would be great if you taught this kid Dai Li moves.

“Cool! Can we start now? Please?” 

You wondered when you’d started to become the most responsible adult in the room.

 

 

 

 

You and Zuko were traveling with the Avatar. Uncle had said he had ‘some unfinished business to take care of’, but that he would find you both soon. And that made you both saaad. And a sad Zuko was an angry Zuko.

You’d also never expected travelling with the Avatar to be so hectic. All the time. Constantly.

Examples: There was a prison ship breakout, and then some dude named Fong who kidnapped everyone but Aang to make him go all Avatar, and then you thought it was safe in Omashu but Omashu had been captured (oof), and then a swamp? A magic spirit swamp? And finally when you all stopped at Gaoling you well and truly wanted to sleep forever.

But things were looking up. Kind of. You’d found an earthbender master for Aang! And Zuko finally lost that attitude of his. And Sokka and you bonded over your love for meat.

Then Azula and her friends found you all again, and it went real bad.

 

 

 

After the fight with Azula, you decided to temporary split up. Aang and the others would go through the desert on some rumor of a library, then to Ba Sing Se. You, Zuko, and the newly returned Iroh would follow.

Right after Zuko learned lightning bending. 

Which he was not too excited about in reality.

“How come Noe doesn’t have to learn to redirect?” Zuko grumbled. It was only a little grumble. He was just tired after Azula kicked his butt.

“Because I’m a rock,” you called from your lounged position, “And I redirect it into the ground.”

And the Dai Li had given you plenty of training about that.

 

 

 

 

Uncle Iroh quietly used his secret organization status to get the three of you into Ba Sing Se. 

And while you knew that it was important that you meet up with the Avatar again, ooooh no you did not like it. You hated it. You’d spent years running from this place. And then you just ended up right back in it. 

(You constantly felt like the Dai Li were watching you.)

Sometimes you saw one of the Joo Dee’s on the streets, and it broke your heart all over again. 

 

 

 

 

You met up with Aang and the others again soon after arriving, and you smiled as you punched Toph in the shoulder.

“Doncha hate it here?” you asked her, and she smiled.

“You don’t even know.”

Felt good to be validated.

 

 

 

 

Aang and the others weren’t caught by surprise by the Dai Li, after you explained who they were. You also explained the Joo Dees. It made things a lot easier, and quicker, and it was really satisfying to break into the palace with them and talk to the Earth King.

(Iroh stayed at his tea shop. He said he was getting too old to be breaking into palaces)

Zuko was particularly vicious when fighting the Dai Li guards, and that warmed your heart. 

(Good thing your cousin wasn’t here)

 

 

 

 

Azula took Ba Sing Se, and your heart broke, just a little. Azula had changed over the years, but she was still good with words, and so it wasn’t even hard for her to bring the city down from the inside. But ,there was this constant fear behind her eyes if anyone looked hard enough. She pushed herself beyond the limit for perfection; It reminded you of when you were with the Dai Li. 

But she was still the enemy. So you and Iroh pushed Zuko to flee with the Avatar, but he didn’t. He looked so, so sad, as he accepted Azula’s offer to join her. You and Iroh both went to the Fire Nation in chains,and because the spirits were mean and cruel you went to the Boiling Rock. 

Jokes on them, though. The Boiling Rock prison was made of metal. And guess who’d been practicing metalbending with Toph.

 

 

 

 

You broke out of prison your second day there. And before you went back to find the others, you went back to Ba Sing Se. 

You found Li Hua. You cried when she didn’t remember you, but sometimes the spirits are nice, and that must have helped break her out of whatever they did, because the next moment, she was crying too.

When you had to go, you promised her you’d be back, and you told her you loved her. She kissed you and asked for her scarf back later.

 

 

 

You met up with your friends at the Western Air Temple. There was a lot of confusion, at first, when you appeared mid conversation. Sokka threw his boomerang at you. Which, actually hurt.

But then everyone calmed down, and there was a tearful reunion. It was all pretty cute and great. It only hurt a little when Zuko wasn’t there.

 

 

 

 

Zuko came back. That wasn’t surprising, actually, because you had a feeling he wasn’t just defecting for fun. What was surprising was when he came back with Azula.

Sokka fainted. 

“Well, if it isn’t the Avatar and his little friends,” Azula greeted, her voice the same ‘I am better than you’ cadence, until Zuko jabbed her side. You were trying very hard not to punch her. You trusted Zuko. Gotta trust your brother.

“She’s here to apologize,” Zuko explained, and if Sokka hadn’t fainted before, he might’ve now. 

You changed your mind. The spirits were awfully cruel with their jokes.

 

 

 

 

Azula turned out to not be half bad. She was obviously working through a lot, like _a lot a lot_ of issues, but she was really trying. You blamed Ozai. You blamed Ozai for a lot, actually, and it usually always was correct.

You were proud to be counted as one of the first of Azula’s friends. 

 

 

 

“Uncle Iroh,” the first words you said when you found him at the White Lotus camp. The only words, actually, because then you were crying. A lot. You missed him way too much, and you were happy he was okay, and he was happy you were still alive because he didn’t even know if you were, and there was a lot of emotions. Zuko joined in too. Azula stood off to the side, but you respected that. You’d cry enough for her too.

 

 

 

The day of Sozin’s comet was a blur. There was a lot of fighting, actually. You remembered that Katara, Zuko, and Azula had a big fight (a big, ‘just kidding I am evil’ ‘no you are not, look into your heart’ ‘oh no I am not evil I am just sad and now I scream’ fight) and Aang went to fight Ozai, and that left you with the others: Sokka, Toph, and Suki. Blimp destruction duty. 

It was going pretty well for all that it wasn’t. You and Sukki fell off an air blimp. It was a good time.

You woke up in an infirmary the next day with a sling on your arm, and a stitch in your side. So obviously you got out of bed immediately to go see what had happened, and most importantly, what you had missed.

The third happiest day of your life was when Aang told you that Ozai was in super avatar based jail. Oh sweet, sweet vindication.

 

 

The second happiest day of your life was when Zuko was crowned Firelord.

 

 

And the first happiest day was the day right after, when you were all sitting in Uncle’s tea shop together, laughing and smiling, and it was almost perfect. Perfection came as Li Hua entered, only a few minutes late, and you smiled so hard your face hurt. 

It was the happiest day of your life. And judging by everyone else, you were pretty sure it was one of the happiest of theirs too.


End file.
